Heir to Pride Rock
by CaraCBewulf
Summary: Our story starts not long after Simba reclaimed the throne. Good days had finally begun for the Pride Lands. The evil king Scar was gone, and the rightful king Simba had returned. The land was coming back to life again, thanks to the wise and caring king. But the king had not done it all alone. Simba had family and friends by his side. His most helpful supporter was Nala, his child
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Pages 1 – 5.

AN –This is a story on HydraCarnia other comic "Heir to Pride Rock". So enjoy let me know what you guys think, by leaving a review.

Disclaimer: Disney and HydraCarnia are the owners not me. I'm just 3rd party.

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Our story starts not long after Simba reclaimed the throne. Good days had finally begun for the Pride Lands. The evil king Scar was gone, and the rightful king Simba had returned. The land was coming back to life again, thanks to the wise and caring king. But the king had not done it all alone. Simba had family and friends by his side. His most helpful supporter was Nala, his childhood friend. The king and his new queen vowed love, loyalty and devotion to each other. Peace and harmony had returned to the Pride Lands… at least for a while.

Zira, Scar's loyal follower and mother of his son, had trouble accepting Simba as the new king. Although everybody had suffered during Scar's reign, Zira still loved him blindly. From the moment of Scar's death, Zira swore on revenge on Simba. One day, she would have her chance… She would make him pay… Until then, she would try to hide her true feeling… But she could not fool everyone… "I'm surprised she hasn't tried to do anything stupid! At least not yet." Laini said to the group of lioness. "Sshhh, Laini! I think Zira has adapted pretty well…" said a lioness, who was sitting next to Laini. "I don't trust her. She'll cause trouble eventually…" Naanda told the lionesses. "Oh, Naanda, always so optimistic!" said Miti. "I'm a realist, Miti. What do you think Zira will do when Simba exiles her son? She'll never accept that." Naanda said. "But why would he…?" Miti asked. "Well, I don't think Simba would tolerate other adult males in the pride especially sons of Scar. Otherwise, history could repeat itself!" stated Naanda, all the while Zira was looking at them with anger and shock written on her face.

"But mom, Scar was our father too. What if Simba wants to exile us?" Ikhala asked her mother. "Oh, I'm sure he doesn't think of you as a threat." Naanda told her three daughters. "Hah, maybe he should…" Majira said with a sort of anger look in her face. "What do you mean, Majira? I don't like the tone of your voice." Naanda scolded her daughter. "Oh, I'm sorry… We're just not quite happy with this situation, that's all." said Majira and she look at her sisters and they all the look of hatred on their faces. "We used to be princesses, but now we're just ordinary lionesses. We used to be special… Now we're nothing." stated Impi. "Special? What are you talking about?" asked Naanda and the screamed at her daughters, "Do you think your position in the pride was different during Scar's reign? He had several cubs with several lionesses! Do you really believe he cared about you the slightest bit? How naïve and childish are you?" Her daughters look at her with anger and the rest of the lionesses look at Naanda with shock. "Well, he cared about us more than you ever did, that's for sure… dear mother." Ikhala said. "Yeah, you never even wanted us in the first place…" said Impi. As they walked away from their mother and Zira just stood there with an evil smile on her face.

"I think Naanda is right Zira might cause trouble." said Laini. "Yeah, Laini, but I just don't think Simba would exile Nuka…" said a lioness who was sitting next to Laini."I think it would be good if he did. Nuka is cute now, but what will he be like as he grows up? I don't want a new Scar." Miti told the lionesses. "I bet Zira does…" remarked Naanda. Meanwhile in Zira's part of Pride Rock, she had heard what the other lionesses had said, and this had made her sad. She started remembering the time Scar had died. "Oh, my poor Scar…" she had said to herself, as she flashbacked. _"Scar… Scar, don't die! Don't leave me!" Zira said to Scar. "Zi-Zira… Zira… Help me… Don't let me die… Don't let me be forgotten… *cough cough*" Scar pleaded with Zira. "Scar…" Zira said with sadness and tears in her eyes. "You must find me an heir. Teach him to be like me… but better. I will live through him… In that way, I will never die. Don't repeat my mistakes, learn from them. Help me, Zira… My friend… My queen…" Scar told Zira, and with that said he was gone. Zira showed her rage by striking the air._

"Scar, forgive me… I tried to avenge you. But I failed…" said Zira, before she flashed back again. " _NO! SCAR! *sob* NOOOO! DON'T LEAVE ME! Scar… RROAAR! *cry* Why? Whyyy?!" Zira went on as Scar laid unmoving in her arms. Simba had come past to see if any lions where traped by the fires. "Hey, you! Come quick, or you'll burn!" Simba told Zira. Zira looked at Simba with a look anger on her face and tears in her eyes. "*growl* MURDERER!" She screamed at Simba as she jumped to attack him. "Wha…?" Simba started. But Simba had moved out of her way, and she had almost jumped off the side of the cliff. "AARGH!" She screamed as she tried to save herself, Simba reached down to try and help her. "Please, let me help you! Give me your paw!" Simba said. Zira thought to herself. 'It would be so easy to just let go… I could be with Scar again… But how can I fulfil his wish if I die?' she said as she looked down at the flames. 'It looks like Scar's killer is my only hope…' as she looked at Simba with fear. And then she reached for his paw, so he could pull her up to safety._

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AN – There you go the first chapter of Heir to Pride Rock. Hope you guys enjoy. Important note HydraCarnia has stop making pages to her comics for a while because she is continuing her studies, But in the meanwhile I will make one-shots from her pics, but I have enough comic pages to write two more chapters of 'Heir to Pride Rock. SO 'The First King' and 'Heir to Pride Rock' won't be getting updates for a while, but there will be other stories to keep you's busy. So please review. I enjoy your reviews, and don't worry you will get another update soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Pages 6 – 10.

AN – Hi guys. Thank you for the reviews. I like that you guys enjoyed it. There's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review.

Disclaimer: Disney and HydraCarnia are the owners not me. I'm just 3rd party.

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(We kick off from where Zira finished her flashback) "I was so weak! I accepted help from the enemy! And now he thinks everything is fine!" Zira said to herself. Meanwhile by the rest of the lionesses, Zira had overheard that Jani and Safi said they had some news. "Hey everybody! Guess what we just saw! Just a moment ago!" Jani said with excitement. "Well, what did you see, Jani and Safi?" asked Miti. "Nala has come back! She's given birth to one cub! We saw the cub!" said Jani. "It's a boy! He's so cute!" Safi said. "I want to see him!" said a lioness. "Let's go meet our new prince!" said Miti. "He looks just like his father! He'll be a great king someday." Safi told them. "Come on, Naanda! Stop sulking, this is a happy day!" Miti told her. " Yeah, yeah… I'm coming…" Naadna said. "A new prince… How nice…" Zira said to herself. "Talking to yourself again, are you, Zira? I'm starting to worry about you…" Deni told Zira and continued,

"You were trying to talk to Scar again. He's dead! Gone! You must let go of him. This is not healthy…" "How dare you, Deni!" Zira scolded her and continued, "Don't talk to me like I'm some stupid little cub! I'm your big sister, not the other way around. Who raised you after mother died? I did! I'd show a little more respect if I were you." "Okay, I'm sorry… But I'm still worried about you. And… If I'm completely honest, this Simba doesn't seem so bad. Think about what Scar did… His hyenas ruined the land. He would have let us starve…" stated Deni. "Do you know what it's like to rule a kingdom? He must have been so stressed out and exhausted! He should have let me help him…" Zira told her sister. "Do you still believe he cared about you?" questioned Deni. "Of course he did, but he just wasn't good with emotions. Deep down he was very loveable…" Zira answered with a look of love on her face and then continued snarling, "His brother, however… He forced us to live in a land with little food and water… Without Scar's help, we'd still be living there… It's only a matter of time before Simba starts to show signs of his father's cruelty…"

Meanwhile Nala had come back to Pride Rock with her cub. "Oh, Simba, he's adorable! Your father would be so proud." Sarabi said to her son with pride. "Heh. Thanks, mom." "He looks just like you when you were little. I'm sure he'll make a great king one day. Does he have a name yet, by the way?" asked Sarabi. "Ehh… No, not yet. We can't quite agree on what we should name him." Simba answered while the little cub was looking at his dad and grandma, and then Simba continued, "Nala doesn't like my suggestions. She's difficult to please." "There's no way I'm going to let you name our son "Fluffy"!" Nala told Simba. "Well, you'd better hurry up deciding. The ceremony will be held tomorrow." Sarabi told Simba and Nala, while smiling at the two. "Ceremony? What ceremony? Can I come?" asked an unknown cub, Sarabi turned to see who it was. "Oh, Zira and Nuka. It's good to see you." Sarabi said not sounding very happy to see them. "Hi, auntie Sarabi!" said Nuka sounding very happy to see them.

"Zira! I must admit I didn't expect you to come this soon… But it's great to see you!" Simba said sounding unsure of himself. "I came as soon as I heard, your Majesty… I wanted to be among the first to see the new heir to Pride Rock." Zira said trying to sound humble. "Hello there, cousin! Nice to meet you!" Nuka said to the little cub with joy and continued, "So what ceremony were you talking about auntie Sarabi?" "The presentation ceremony, where the future ruler is presented to the kingdom." Sarabi answered Nuka. "Mother, did I have a presentation ceremony when I was a baby?" Nuka asked his mother, as Zira and Simba had looks of shock on their faces. "No, of course not, Nuka. You weren't the future ruler, you know that." Zira told him. "But why? I was Scar's first and only son. Sure, he didn't like me much, but now he's dead, so he can't say anything about anything…" Nuka asked curiously and then then continued, "So why does this new cub get to be future king? Shouldn't that be me?" Zira and Simba were surprized by what Nuka had just said.

"Nuka dear… Scar wasn't the rightful king, you know that." Sarabi said kindly. "But… why?" asked Nuka again. "*Simba snarled at Nuka* He murdered my father and blamed it on me… He exiled me from my own kingdom! Had I known the truth from the beginning, he would never have become king at all!" Simba scolded Nuka. "W-what…? B-b-but…" Nuka said with worry. "Nuka, be quiet! Stop bothering the king." Zira screamed at Nuka and continued, "He has more important things to do than discuss with you. Come, let's go hunting." "My hunting party caught something last night…" Sarabi told Zira. "Oh, thanks, Sarabi, but no thanks. Nuka must learn to hunt on his own. It's an important skill…" Zira told Sarabi and walked off with Nuka.

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AN – There's chapter 2 of Heir to Pride Rock. Hope you guys enjoy. Important note HydraCarnia has stop making pages to her comics for a while because she is continuing her studies, But in the meanwhile I will make one-shots from her pics. SO 'The First King' and 'Heir to Pride Rock' won't be getting updates for a while, but there will be other stories to keep you's busy. So please review. I enjoy your reviews, and don't worry you will get another update soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Pages 11 – 15.

AN: Hi guys. Thank you for the reviews. I like that you guys enjoyed it. There's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review.

Disclaimer: Disney and HydraCarnia are the owners not me. I'm just 3rd party.

BIG NOTE – It is HydraCarnia birthday in a few days. So let's all wish her a very happy birthday.

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"Mother, is it true what they said? That Scar wasn't a real king?" Nuka asked his mom. "Nuka, don't believe one word of what they say about Scar! They're all lying! Yes, Scar killed his brother Mufasa, but Mufasa deserved to die! Mufasa was a bad king. He didn't let me come into the Pride Lands! Just because I didn't agree on all his stupid laws! Scar freed the Pride Lands from Mufasa's tyranny and exiled Simba and told him to never come back…" Zira told Nuka as he listened very carefully. "But Simba came back. And now he's the king." A confused Nuka asked. "Yes.. Scar made a big mistake when he exiled Simba and let him live. But we won't make the same mistake…" Zira started. "What do you mean, mother?" Nuka asked wide-eyed. "Ugh, never mind… Why don't you go and hunt some mice?" Zira suggested. "Okay! Watch out, mice, I'm coming! Rawr!" yelled Nuka. "Oh, Scar, he's hopeless… I know you didn't want him as your heir… but he was your last cub. Who should I train to avenge you?" Zira asked Scar. " _That little runt is never going to be my heir! You've failed me, Zira._ " "Oh, Scar! What should I do? Give me a sign! Please, help me, Scar!" Zira cried out. " _AAAAAAAAAAAAH! MOTHER! HELP ME!_ " Nuka yelled out to his mom. "NUKA!" Zira shouted in worry.

Zira had ran to where she Nuka scream from, once she got there she saw a large dark male lion standing over Nuka. "Nuka, why did you scream? What's the mat… Oh! SNARL! Get away from my son!" Zira snarled at the strange male. What Zira saw when she looked at him shocked her, cause for her it was like she was staring at Scar. Cause the same venom green eyes, dark mane and dark fur was standing in front of her. "Y-your eyes! You look like… W-who are you? And what… what are you doing… in the Pride Lands?" Zira struggled to say. The stranger stood up proudly and said with a cheeky smile. "Sorry if I scared your cub, it wasn't my intention. My name is Mtoto, and I came to meet King Simba. "Oh, I see… King Simba… He… I… I don't think he's expecting any visitors." Zira say struggling to get the words out because of shock. "Hehe, it will be a surprise. Zazu, his majordomo, invited my pride to the celebration of the new prince." Mtoto answered. *Zira escorted the young lion to Pride Rock. She was astounded how much he reminded her of Scar. Maybe he was the answer to her problem. Maybe this was Scar's doing…* "So… What's your name?" Mtoto asked kindly. "Umm… Zira. I'm Zira." She answered shyly back.

Zira and Mtoto finally got to Pride Rock only to see that two of his friends were already there, Simba staring at Mtoto with a very funny face. "Ah, there he comes! Finally!" said Akia sarcastically. Malka joined in, "Akia and I thought you'd got lost." "Ha. Getting lost is more your thing than mine, Malka." Mtoto said with a laugh. "Wha..? Am I seeing things? Mtoto..?!" Simba said with shock. Mtoto jumped up and gave Simba a hug. "SIMBA! My favorite cousin! For so long I thought you were dead!" Mtoto exclaimed. "And I was told that you had died during Scar's reign!" Simba said with joy hidden in his voice. "Died? Nah, my dear beloved father just exiled me, just like all the other young males." Mtoto explained to Simba. "Father..? Scar was his…" Zira said to herself with a 'Wait What' face. Mtoto, Malka and Akia all joined in a hug while Mtoto told Simba how he was saved, "Luckily, these two cousins kindly took me in. I'd be dead without them…" "Oh, you're welcome, dear little Mtoto."

"We must find your mom. Ah, there she is, with Diku and Dwala!" Simba told Mtoto and then continued, "Auntie Naanda! Look what I found!" "Our nephew is calling you." Dwala told Naanda, as Naanda walked to the edge of the ledge where she was standing and called out to Simba. "What is it, Simba? Another old friend?" She started but then saw who Simba was talking about, and continued, " Huh? Mtoto…" She just stood here looking at him like he was a ghost. "Heh… Hi, mom…" Mtoto said like a little child. Naanda run to him and nuzzled him as he nuzzled her. "I knew you were alive! I knew it! Where have you been?" She asked him. "Mom? What's going on?" Majira asked her mother. While Impi asked, "Who is that lion?" "Girls, this is your big brother Mtoto. Mtoto, these are your sisters, Ikhala, Impi and Majira." Naanda told her daughters. "Wha..? I have sisters?!" Mtoto asked-said. While Zira sat in her corner coming up with a plan. "Hmm… So he's Scar's son. Interesting…" she said.

*Soon more and more friends and family arrived at Pride Rock to see the new prince. "Mheetu and Tama! I knew you'd become a couple!" Nala said to her little brother. "Congratulations, big sister! Does he have a name yet?" Mheetu asked his sister. "Hmm… What do think about "Chaka"?" Simba asked Nala. "Sounds way too weird…" She said back. ""Naba"? "Na" from your name, and…" Simba started. " _NO_." Nala said again. ""Shani"?" Sibma asked again. "It's a girl's name." Nala remarked. ""Kion"?" Simba suggested. "Oh, Simba, that is just sad." Nala told him, looking bored. *Even Simba's good friends, Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog, came from their jungle home to congratulate the new parents. It was time to present the new prince to the kingdom. The prince was given the name Kopa, "to borrow". In life, everything is borrowed. Our friends and family, our bodies, and our time in this this world. Unfortunately, happy days of the Pride Lands were borrowed, too…*

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AN – Ok there you guys go. Before you ask. Yes Mtoto looks like he could be Kovu's twin, extract twin. HydraCarnia is making that in this story Mtoto is Kovu and Vitani's father. So in other words where Mtoto is Nuka, Kovu and Vitani's older brother he is also Kovu and Vitani's dad. Weird I know right but any way. Hope you guys liked it and please review Happy Birthday wishes so I can pass it along to HydraCarnia.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Pages 16 - 20.

AN – Hi guys. Thank you for the reviews. I like that you guys enjoyed it. There's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review.

Disclaimer: Disney and HydraCarnia are the owners not me. I'm just 3rd party.

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*Zira had decided to use Mtoto in her revenge plan. Mtoto was Scar's eldest son – he should have been the king. Unfortunately to her, Mtoto was in friendly terms with Simba.* "I'm sure that, deep down, Scar regretted chasing you off. Maybe he just wanted you to find your own life and start a family?" Zira suggested. "Well, it is true that no girl in the Pride Lands was interested in me… I was too small and weak." Mtoto told her as he looked at all the other couples and then continued, "But it's the same wherever I go! I'm always the smallest and weakest male… I guess I'll just be alone forever…" "Oh, don't worry. Not all lionesses look for brute strength in males…" Zira told him. "Yeah, right… Oh, by the way… If you are a half-sister of my mother's half-sister Sarabi, what does that make you to me? Half-aunt?" Mtoto asked her.

*When the time came for the others guests to leave for their homes, Mtoto decided to stay in the Pride Lands. He wanted to be close to his family and get to know his new sisters. Zira was pleased about Mtoto's decision. Now she could continue manipulating him. Most of Scar's daughters were already on her side. Soon, Simba would suffer… Months passed… The young prince Kopa grew fast, and he was full of curiosity and energy.* "Yay! It's morning! Dad! Wake up, Dad! You promised to show me the Pride Lands today! Dad! Daaad, come on! Let's go! Dad, Dad, Dad! Wake up!" Kopa called out from outside before running inside the cave to wake up his dad. "*sigh* This sounds familiar, or what do you think, Sarabi?" Nala asked her as she gave a knowing look to Nala. "Okay, okay, Kopa. You win. I'll show you the Pride Lands." Simba said to his son. "Yay! Get up, get up! Let's go!" Kopa cheered.

*Just as Simba and Kopa were walking out of the cave Zazu landed in front of them.* "Good morning, sire! I'm sorry to inform you that there seems to be a problem at the Water Hole. The hippos and rhinos are quarrelling again." reported Zazu. Oh no… Can't you handle it by yourself, Zazu? I promised Kopa to show him the kingdom." Simba asked him. "I'm afraid they don't listen to me. Maybe if I grew a mane and learned to roar… Ah, your father always knew how to handle situations like this." Zazu told him. "*sigh* Yes, my father was a great king… Okay, fine. I'll come with you." Simba said given in to Zazu. "Follow me!" exclaimed Zazu. "But Daaaad, you promised!" moaned Kopa. "I'm sorry, Kopa, but this is important. I'll show you the Pride Lands some other time." Simba told his son as he was running after Zazu. "*sigh* I'll wait. Again…" Kopa said to himself sounding disappointed.

*Meanwhile Kopa run out to fine something to do when he came across Nuka and Dotty.* "Hmm… Hey, there's Nuka with his girlfriend Dotty. Hey, guys! I'm bored! Wanna play with me?" Kopa asked them. "*sigh* Oh joy, the brat's awake." Dotty said sarcastically. "Listen. We're not interested in playing with little babies." Nuka warned him. "I'm not a little baby!" Kopa snapped at him. "Oh yes, you are!" Nuka snorted back. "I'm NOT!" Kopa stated back. "You ARE! And now… Go bother someone else!" Nuka shouted at him. "Fine, like I wanted to play with you anyway. Why would anyone want to play with? You guys are so boring!" Kopa told them while he walked away. "Haha, and you are sooo interesting!" Dotty said ignorantly.

*Kopa often felt lonely and bored. His father was almost always busy with his royal responsibilities, and Kopa was top young and small to accompany him. His mother was busy too, as she was the leader of the hunting party. Kopa was allowed to go with her and watch the hunting, but he wasn't really interested. He wanted to wrestle and play tag and hide-and-seek… But Kopa didn't have anyone to play with all day. All the other lion were either too young or too old, or too busy or too lazy to play with him. That's why Kopa's first friend was of another species. One day, he saved a hyena cub called Asante from an angry snake.* "Die, you egg thief!" said the snake to Asante. " _Let me go! Help!_ " screamed Asante. *Kopa and Asante became best friends. Finally, Kopa had someone to play with.* " _Hahaha!_ " laughted Kopa. " _Hee-hee!_ " giggled Asante. *At first, Kopa wanted to keep his new friend as a secret because he feared his parents' reaction. Lions and hyenas had always been enemies. The evil king Scar had formed an alliance with hyenas, which led the Pride Lands to disaster. When Kopa finally introduced Asante to his parents, the reaction was what he had expected.* "Oh, Kopa… What were you thinking?" asked Nala. "She's a hyena! Haven't you listened to anything we've tried to teach you?" Simba scolded him.

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AN - Thank you for reading. Please leave a review if you like it. Till next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Pages 21 - 25.

AN – Hi guys. Thank you for the reviews. I like that you guys enjoyed it. There's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review.

Disclaimer: Disney and HydraCarnia are the owners not me. I'm just 3rd party.

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*Kopa had to really work to convince his parents to give Asante a chance. Though reluctant at first, Simba and Nala soon had to admit that Asante wasn't anything like the hyenas they had met before.* "C'mon, Kopa! I want to show you something cool." Asante told him. "Okay! What is it, Asante?" asked Kopa. *She was smart and kind, and she seemed to truly care about Kopa.* "Isn't it nice that he found himself a friend? Even if she's a hyena… He used to be so lonely." Nala said to Simba. "Yeah, but… I'd like to know who her parents are. What if they are from Scar's hyena clan?" Simba asked. *One evening, Simba's wish came true…* "Asanteee! Where are you?" called out Shenzi. *He finally got to meet Asante's family.* As Simba saw them he had a shocked look on his face and started having flashbacks. Shenzi had a surprised look on her face as she sniffed around for her daughter. * _Simba, he let the hyenas take over the Pride Lands. Everything's destroyed. There's no food, no water. Simba, if you don't do something soon, everyone will starve. Here, kitty, kitty, kitty… if you ever come back, we'll kill ya! And here's my little secret… I killied Mufasa!_ *

"C'mon, Kopa! I'll introduce you to my family." Asante said to him. "Wait up. Asante!" Kopa told her. Simba looked scared, "Kopa..?" He charged toward them roaring, " _RROAAARR!_ " Both Asante and Kopa were shocked by this, "Huh? Dad..?!" "You three! Stay away from my son, or you'll be sorry!" Simba told the three hyenas. "You stay away from my daughter!" Shenzi told him. "Your daughter? Asante is… your…" Simba seemed surprised by this. "Look, we're not here to start trouble. We just want to take Asante home." Shenzi said to Simba. "We wouldn't stick around even if you asked. Right , Ed?" Banzai asked Ed. " _Uh-uh-uh! Hee-hee-hee!_ " Ed just laughed. "Take her and get lost! Next time you sneak into the Pride Lands, I won't show mercy." Simba said to them with anger in his voice.

"Dad, what are you doing? Asante is my friend!" Kopa asked his dad. "No, she's not your friend. She's being raised by Scar's henchmen. Those three helped Scar kill your grandfather!" Simba told him. "But that's not Asante's fault!" Kopa moaned. *That night…* "Kopa, darling… Are you alright?" Nala asked her son. "No. Why is Dad so mean?" Kopa moaned to his mom. "He's not being mean, he just wants to protect you, Kopa." His grandmother Sarabi told him. "Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't shown up!" His mother said to him. "Asante isn't like the other hyenas! She's my only friend. Why can't she come to the Pride Lands to live with us?" Kopa asked his grandmother. "Do you think she would want to abandon her family? She's a hyena and she belongs with other hyenas." Sarabi told him. "Oh, Kopa, you're still too young to understand. But someday you will… Until that, you must listen to your parents." His mother said to him. "Yes, and grandparents." Sarafina added.

"What were you thinking, young lady? We've told you what lions are like! Lying, betraying cowards!" Shenzi told her daughter. "And man, are they UUUGLY!" Banzai added. "Hee-hee-hee!" Ed just laughed. "Thank you, Banzai, for your input in raising our daughter…" Shenzi said in a mocking way. "But, mom, I like Kopa… He isn't so bad, and neither is his family. It was Scar who betrayed you." Asante said to her mother. "Well, he paid for that in the end… Right, Ed?" Banzai added again. "Hee-hee!" Ed laughed again. "All lions are the same. Always putting their noses into our business! They're forcing us to live here…" Shenzi said to her. "But if you respected the Circle of Life, maybe -." Asante started. "Circle of Life? What rubbish has that lion brat been feeding you? Life is struggle, survival of the fittest!" She told her daughter. "What do you mean?" Asante asked. "Only the strongest ones survive. We must look out for our clan, no one else is going to. And you, you're the future leader of this clan. You must set a good example, especially for the younger cubs…" Her mother told her.

*Early on the next morning, when the adult lions were still either asleep or hunting, Kopa snuck out of Pride Rock. He went to his and Asante's usual meeting place. But instead of Asante, Kopa found Kroko, her crocodile friend. The old crocodile told Kopa that Asante had decided not to meet him again. Saddened and disappointed, Kopa returned home, where his parents were just awakening…* "I had a dream that tiny little cheetah challenged me for the throne… and he won!" Simba said out loud. "What a weird dream! Have you eaten something funny?" Nala asked him. "DAD!" Kopa shouted and then continued moaning, "Asante doesn't want to see me again! It's your fault!" "Kopa..? How..? Where have you been?!" Simba tried to ask him. "Don't change the subject, Dad! Because of you, I lost my best friend! My only friend!" Kopa told him. "Son, I… I'm sorry you're upset, but I really think it's for the best." Simba said to caringly. "No, it's NOT! Now I'm all alone again! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" Kopa cried. " _KOPA!_ Come back!" Simba yelled after him as he ran away.

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AN – There you chapter 5 done. Next one is it's way.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Pages 26 - 30.

AN – Hi guys. Thank you for the reviews. I like that you guys enjoyed it. There's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review.

Disclaimer: Disney and HydraCarnia are the owners not me. I'm just 3rd party.

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"*sniff*" Kopa cried as he ran away. " _AAH!_ " He moaned as he run into someone's front leg. "Hey! Watch where you're going, Your Highness!" Deni told him. "Sorry, Auntie Deni." Kopa said softly. "You could have hurt - Hey, what's wrong?" Deni asked him. "Nothing…" Kopa answered with tears in his eyes. "I'm not dumb, you know… But if you don't want to tell me, at leasttell your parents." She said to him. "NO! They don't care! *sniff* I…I lost a friend. Dad thinks she's dangerous. He ruined everything!" Kopa moaned. "Well, he's trying to take care of you. That's what parents do… I think. Mine died when I was little. You should be grateful for having parents…" She told him. "I am! But sometimes I just… can't stand them…" Kopa said.

*At the same time, not far from Kopa and Deni, Zira kept trying to win Mtoto on her side…* "Oh, there's nothing wrong with you, Mtoto! You might not be the strongest lion, but who cares? Intelligence always wins over brute strength!" Zira said to Mtoto trying to cheer him up. "But I'm not intelligent! I'm just a pathetic whiner who nobody wants." Mtoto spoke with a whine in his voice and then continued, "All of my friends have found mates. I'll never find anyone, at least not here. Maybe I should just leave and -" Mtoto started. "Leave..?! No! You can't! Eh, I mean… Why do you think you'd find a mate in some faraway land? Maybe you should just open your eyes and see… that what you're looking for is right in front of you." Zira said to him with a flirty look on her face. "Uh, Z-Zira? W-what..?" Mtoto tried to asked with a look shock on his face. "I know I'm a little older than you, but… Can you afford to be picky?" Zira asked him as she nuzzled her head into his mane. "I suppose I can't. Uh, I mean… You're a really fine lioness for your age… Uh, I mean-" Mtoto tried to say. "For my age?! Shut up before I change my mind about you…" Zira told him. "Kopa, where are you? Please come back!" Nala called out for Kopa. "Okay, okay, Mom! See you, Auntie Deni!" answered Kopa. "Huh, what's going on over there? Excuse me for a moment, dear…" Zira said to Mtoto as she went towards the sounds.

"There you are! You know you you're not supposed to go out alone, Kopa!" Nala told her son. "Ugh, Mooom! I wasn't far, and I wasn't alone! I was with Auntie Deni." Kopa said to his mother as Zira walked towards Deni. "Well, well, well… You're full of surprises, Deni. I didn't know you were so close with the little prince!" Zira said to her sister. "Uh… I'm not. We just bumped into each other, literally. He was sad and-" Deni tried to tell her sister. "Oh yes, I've heard that the prince has some problems with his parents. Poor Simba…" said Zira with a look on her face that you know she is planning something bad and then continued, "Do you think you could create some more problems, my dear little sister?" "W-what? A-are you asking me to… to turn him against his parents?" asked Deni. Precisely! But be careful and subtle. Pretend to be his friend. I'd do it myself, but I'm a bit busy with Mtoto…" Zira said with glee. "You want me to manipulate a little cub? You sound like Scar!" Deni told her. "Well, Scar probably sent this plan into my mind… And don't bother pitying the brat! He'd just grow up to be like his father and grandfather. And we don't want that, do we?" asked Zira. "Well… What _do_ we want then, Zira?" Deni asked her sister. "Just think if we could use the prince against Simba… His own son and heir!" Zira told her.

"I… don't understand… How is this plan going to work exactly?" Deni asked again. "Oh, I don't know all the details yet. But don't worry, Scar will show us the right way." answered Zira while looking at the sky and then continued, "Trust me, Deni. It's best for everyone, including that spoiled little prince, that you do what I tell you…" "I don't like this! I understand your hatred for Simba, but using his cub… That's going too far!" Deni stated. "Well, if the cub is of use to us, he will meet the same fate as his father… It's all up to you, Deni. I know you hate seeing innocent little cubs suffering… even though that bratty prince isn't nearly as innocent as your little Sukari was." Zira told her as she walked away and Deni was left to her thoughts, "* _Mom, help me! Sukari! No! Leave her alone! It's better this way, Deni._ *"

*Kopa's situation prompted some discussion among the pride.* "How is Kopa doing? I saw him arguing with poor Zazu…" asked Sarabi. "Oh, he'll be fine, Mom. He's just lonely. I wish we had noticed it earlier and done something about it." Simba told her. "I agree! He befriended a hyena! I can't help but think about Scar… It's good that you put a stop to that before things got out of paw… Who knows what kind of ideas those hyenas could have put in his head…" stated Naanda. "Excuse me? Kopa is a good, kind cub! Just because _your_ cubs are difficult doesn't- Uh, I mean… Sorry, Naanda…" Nala said with regret. "It's okay, you're right… I don't know what's wrong with Majira, Ikhala and Impi. They feel so distant… They miss their father, even though Scar never cared about them." said Naanda. "My Mila and Chakavu are like that too. And so is Mchanga's daughter Haya…" Dwala stated also. "Oh, Dwala…" said Diku with sympathy. "Yes, she rarely even talks to me. I had hoped her new little sisters would soften her a bit…" said Mchanga. "Oh, don't worry, girls. I'm sure it's just a phase that will pass soon…" Sarabi told them with a calm voice.

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AN – There you chapter 6 done. Next one is it's way.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Pages 31 - 35.

AN – Hi guys. Thank you for the reviews. I like that you guys enjoyed it. There's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review.

Disclaimer: Disney and HydraCarnia are the owners not me. I'm just 3rd party.

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*Simba felt sorry for his son and tried to help him find new playmates. He asked his old friends, Timon and Pumbaa, to come live in the Pride Lands. With Timon and Pumbaa's help, Kopa befriended many different animals, but none of them was quite what he wanted. He wanted someone to wrestle with. And then one day, his wish came true… Two of Simba and Nala's cubhood friends came for a visit.* "Kula and Chumvi! It's great to see you! How are you?" Nala greeted her friends. "Sorry we couldn't make it to your son's presentation. I had just given birth myself." Kula told her. "It's been so long! How are your parents, Chumvi? Did they come with you?" asked Simba. "No, they… They passed away a while ago. The drought afflicted our land too. My parents got sick and…" Chumvi trailed with a sad voice. "Oh no! Uncle Aheri… Aunt Maisha… I'm so sorry, Chumvi!" said Simba. "Well, they lived long enough to see their grandson. My brothers are ruling our land now, and Kula and I thought we'd come to see you. And on the way here, we met this little pride and picked them up. I believe you have met some of them…" Chumvi told him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Your Majesty! I'm Leo. My family and I visited the Pride Lands when you were a little cub. I'm your third or fourth cousin or something, so I'm almost royal myself…" Leo introduced himself. "Leo, huh? Oh, I think I remember you and your… interesting little stories." Simba told him. "Let me introduce my family. My mate Ayana, our daughter Delu, her mate Tumaini, and their young daughters Choka and Yatima." said Leo. "My father, Aibu, was actually born here. He was a member of Scar's Lion Guard." Tumaini told Simba. "And these are my nephew Mega and his mate Sabini. Mega's father was a close ally of King Mufasa." said Leo. "Don't exaggerate, Leo. They met maybe twice…" Mega tried to say. "Don't interrupt me, boy. Where are your cubs and Kula and Chumvi's son..? …Ah, there they are! Making friends with the little prince." stated Leo. "Hi! My name is Afua, and these two are Boga and Babu. What's your name?" asked Afua. "Uh… I… Kopa. My name is Kopa." answered Kopa. *At first, Kopa was confused to meet lion cubs of his own age, but he befriended them fast. Simba and Nala asked the visitors to stay and live in the Pride Lands, and they happily accepted the offer. Weeks passed, and Kopa grew happier and happier each day. He had finally made friends that his parents approved of, and were fun to play with. Even though he couldn't completely forget Asante, he began to accept that their friendship wasn't meant to be. After all, it had been Asante who had decide to cut contact with him. Kopa even let go of the disputes with his father. Even though Kopa couldn't always understand him, he admired him greatly.*

*Simba began to take more time off of his kingly duties in order to spend more time with Kopa.* "Listen, Kopa. Your grandfather gave me this lecture when I was s cub, and now I'm giving it to you. Look at the Pride Lands. Everything you see lives together in a delicate balance. As King you need to understand that balance… and respect all the creatures – and yes, even the ones we eat." Simba told his son. "But don't we disrespect them by eating them..? Why do zebras and antelopes and other herbivores even want to live here? Wouldn't it be better for them to live in some place where there are no carnivores?" asked Kopa. "I doubt such a place exists. Besides, it's not so bad in the Pride Lands for them." Nala said with a smirk. "Your mother is right. In the Pride Lands, there are laws that, for example, forbid hunting for sport. And the predators usually hunt sick animals…" Simba told him. "Oh, so that they don't have to suffer for long? That makes sense…"Kopa said. "Yes. You're a smart boy, Kopa. Everything and everyone has a place in the Circle of Life. Plants, insects, birds zebras, elephants, lions… If you remove one species, the Circle of Life might break." Simba told his son. "Hmm… If that's true… If every species is needed… What happens if hyenas are removed?" asked Kopa.

"Don't start with this nonsense again, Kopa. Hyenas are our enemies, and always will be. They don't belong in the Pride Lands." Simba said in anger. "But Dad, you just said that everyone has a place in the Circle of Life… So hyenas must exist for a reason! Weren't they created by the Great Spirit, just like we were?" asked Kopa. "I don't know who created them. But if it was the Great Spirit, he made a big mistake." stated Simba. "The hyenas' way of life disturbs the lives of others in savannah. They believe that everything in the world, including other creatures, exists for them to exploit. They don't believe in the Circle of Life at all." Nala told her son. "But couldn't we try to teach them?" Kopa asked his mother. "I wish we could, Kopa. But they don't want to learn. You have heard how they destroyed the Pride Lands during Scar's regin… All that over- breeding and over-hunting… But they refused to see the harm in their actions." Nala answered her son. "Not all hyenas are like that. Asante isn't." stated Kopa. "Asante is just a cub. Her parents have plenty of time to teach her the "hyena way"…" Simba told his son. "Your father is right. But it's good that you ask questions, Kopa. You're a very clever cub." said Nala.

"I will go hunting with my party tonight. Would you like to join us, Kopa?" Nala asked Kopa. "Ugh, Mooom! I'm not interested in girl stuff!" complained Kopa. "..?" Deni was trying to hear what was going on. "Well, Boga is coming. You are interested in her aren't you?" Nala teased. " _What..?! Mooom! No! Eww!_ " moaned Kopa. "Ah, hello, Deni. It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Simba greeted Deni. "What are you doing here?" Kopa asked with glee. "Umm… Good day, Your Majesties. Hi, Kopa. I was just… sleeping?" answered Deni while looking at Kopa who was smiling at her. "Okay..? Bye, Auntie!" Kopa shouted back as he and his parents kept on walking, leaving Deni to her thoughts, "* _W-what? A-are you asking me to… to turn him against his parents? Precisely! But be careful and subtle. Pretend to be his friend._ * No… I can't do it…" Deni said to herself. "Can't do what? Can I help you?" asked an unknown voice behind her. "Huh..?"

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AN – There you chapter 7 done. Next one is it's way.


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